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Saudi Arabia’s labor and employment framework continues to evolve through a series of changes. The combined effect of the changes is reshaping how employers engage, manage, and deploy talent across the Kingdom. This update provides an overview of changes in three areas: the Qiwa platform, Labor Law amendments, and workforce deployment and mobility initiatives, including Premium Residency and the Ajeer frameworks.

The FCA has now published the final UK cryptoasset regime, completing its Crypto Roadmap and confirming that crypto activities will be brought fully within the existing FSMA framework from 25 October 2027. The headline messages are contained in the accompanying FCA press release and new overview webpage, which together provide a useful guide through what is a substantial package of policy statements, guidance and consultations. While much of the architecture was already visible through earlier consultations, firms now have something they have lacked throughout much of the process: certainty. The significance of today's package is not that it changes the direction of travel, but that it finalises the framework and provides a clear route to implementation. Firms have three months until the authorisation gateway opens and less than sixteen months until the regime comes into force. That is a comparatively short implementation period given the governance, operational, and prudential changes many firms will need to make. The challenge is no longer understanding what regulation might look like. It is demonstrating readiness to operate within it. The FCA has also used the final package to reinforce a broader message running through much of its recent work: the UK's crypto regime is intended to support innovation, growth and competitiveness while maintaining high standards of consumer protection and market integrity. The final framework reflects a regulator that has listened to industry feedback in several key areas, while remaining firmly committed to bringing crypto firms within mainstream financial services regulation.

Welcome to the Corporate Briefing, where we review the latest developments in UK corporate law that you need to know about. In this month’s issue we discuss:FRC Mythbuster: Auditor Responsibilities under Provision 29 of the UK Corporate Governance Code The FRC has published a ‘mythbuster’ clarifying the auditor’s responsibilities in respect of Provision 29 of the UK Corporate Governance Code 2024. The key message is that the auditor's role is more limited than might be assumed: auditors are not required to test or provide assurance on the material controls identified by the board, and UK auditing standards have not been extended in response to this new provision. EU MAR: New rules and how they now differ from UK MAR With effect from 5 June 2026, the EU Listing Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/2809) made significant changes to the inside information disclosure regime under EU MAR. The UK has not adopted these reforms. Therefore, companies with securities admitted to trading on both an EU regulated market and a UK venue cannot rely on the more permissive EU framework to discharge their UK MAR obligations. Access to the register of members: the proper purpose test The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI) has published revised guidance on the proper purpose test under the Companies Act 2006. The decided cases make it clear that there is a strong presumption in favour of access to the register and the courts should exercise their discretion to issue a no-access order ‘sparingly and with circumspection’, particularly where requests come from shareholders seeking to engage with fellow members.